tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-121256102014-03-19T04:18:11.293-04:00Blog 2121... 24/7Darth Shanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13717263605889641353noreply@blogger.comBlogger36125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12125610.post-30987071573819150182008-04-21T09:33:00.003-04:002008-04-21T09:39:06.947-04:00Personal ReflectionI've been blogging a bit more on the obscure and pop culture (when I been able to)....<br /><br />I heard a song on my iPod this morning for the first time (not uncommon, I shuffle a lot) from a cd that I had not listened too all the way yet... Though the words are not exact to the situation I'm posting as this where I had been for the last year or so, and perhaps longer. I just hope the words speak to someone else as much as they did to me.<br /><br /><blockquote><span style="font-style: italic;">Lord, I lift my friend to You, I've done all that I know to do<br />I lift my friend to You<br />Complicated circumstances have clouded his view<br />Lord, I lift my friend up to You<br /><br />I fear that I won't have the words that he needs to hear<br />I pray for Your wisdom, oh God, and a heart that's sincere<br />Lord, I lift my friend up to You<br /><br />Lord, I lift my friend to You<br />My best friend in the world, I know he means much more to You<br />I want so much to help him, but this is something he has to do<br />And Lord, I lift my friend up to You<br /><br />'cause there's a way that seems so right to him<br />But You know where that leads<br />He's becoming a puppet of the world, too blind to see the strings<br />Lord, I lift my friend up to You<br />My friend up to You<br /><br />Lord, I lift my friend to You</span></blockquote>Darth Shanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13717263605889641353noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12125610.post-10995109101725456552008-02-26T21:35:00.001-05:002008-02-26T21:36:39.595-05:00Dancing MachineI still like Bush. I 'd vote for him again.<br /><br /><br /><object height="355" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/-alS3kgNQCU&amp;rel=1"><param name="wmode" value="transparent"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/-alS3kgNQCU&amp;rel=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" height="355" width="425"></embed></object>Darth Shanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13717263605889641353noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12125610.post-16288833198317422402008-02-26T21:29:00.002-05:002008-02-26T21:32:52.202-05:00iPod FunctionalityOne of the bad habits I have is that I never utilize my tech to its fullest. I have had a video iPod for over a year (my previous one got repo'd by the Best Buy lemon policy - thank you Dan Van Winkle<a href="javascript:void(0)" tabindex="10" onclick="return false;"><span></span></a>) and am just now starting to really load videos on to it. Amazing what that thing does.Darth Shanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13717263605889641353noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12125610.post-13925423326351493932008-01-14T14:41:00.000-05:002008-01-14T14:44:43.717-05:00Hall of Fame Talk : Jim RiceLots conversation going on about what constitues a HOFer and not. (Amazes me the Dave Concepcion is not in the HOF)<br /><br />Interesting piece here from ESPN's Buster Onley ...<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Rice production and OPS+</span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-family:georgia;">A lot of e-mail landed here about Friday's Jim Rice column, most of which suggests: First, that I cherry-picked statistics to make Rice look good; second, MVP voting is irrelevant; and third, I'm an idiot. There's no point in trying to defend my own idiocy, but the cherry-picking and MVP observations are interesting.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">So if I understand the argument from some e-mailers: If you criticize Rice's candidacy by relying on Adjusted OPS+, through which Rice fares badly, that's analysis. But if you support Rice's candidacy citing home runs and RBI, then it's cherry-picking.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">Hmmmm …</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">Adjusted OPS+ is a useful number. And if this your be-all, end-all statistic, keep in mind that:</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">Mark McGwire and Frank Thomas rank higher than Willie Mays, Hank Aaron and Joe DiMaggio.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">Jim Thome ranks higher than A-Rod and Gary Sheffield.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">Lance Berkman ranks higher than Ken Griffey Jr.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">Brian Giles ranks higher than George Brett, Al Kaline, Orlando Cepeda, Tony Gwynn, Rod Carew and Roberto Clemente.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">Adam Dunn ranks higher than Eddie Murray.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">And if you think that Adjusted OPS+ is a set of numbers that generally creates a level statistical playing field for all of the eras of baseball, then you'd have to ignore the following. Of the top 63 players all time in OPS+, there are:</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">Nineteen players who performed the bulk of their careers in the years leading up to 1920.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">Eight players who performed the bulk of their careers in the years from 1920-1939.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">Seventeen players who have performed the bulk of their careers from 1990-2007.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">And a total of 17 players from the 50-year period of 1940-89.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">To repeat: According to Adjusted OPS+, there are an equal number of players, among the top 63 of all time in the statistic, in the 50-year period of 1940 to 1989 as there have been in the 18-year period from 1990 through 2007.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">Part of the reason, of course, is there are more teams now. But part of the reason is that in years in which there is less offense, generally, it is more difficult to create a plus/minus disparity in this statistic. From 1940-1989, there were a total of 11 league leaders with Adjusted OPS+ numbers of 200 or higher; there wasn't a single Adjusted OPS+ leader of 200 or higher from 1981-1991. Since 1992, there have been eight leaders of Adjusted OPS+ of 200 or more in the NL alone, and nine overall.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">Let's go one step further. In the 16 seasons since the start of the 1992 season, there have been only three instances in which an Adjusted OPS+ league leader registered less than 171. But in the 50 years prior to that, there were 42 instances in which a league leader was at 170 or lower. If you don't think that Adjusted OPS+ is a statistic that skews toward the elite players of the Steroid Era, well, then that's your story and you're sticking to it.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">It's not a perfect statistic. There aren't any perfect statistics.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">A lot of the Rice critics say the focus on his best years -- 1975-1986 -- is arbitrary. Well, not really. Those are the years in which he was at his best, when he built his Hall of Fame candidacy, and considering that a player must have 10 years in the big leagues to qualify for HOF consideration, focusing on a 12-year span is hardly a cherry-pick. And in that time, in some power statistics -- maybe not Adjusted OPS+ -- Rice was the best in his league.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">While I'd generally agree that to focus on building a Hall of Famer's credentials around a single year of MVP voting might be dubious, the numbers cited in Friday's column accounts for hundreds of votes from every AL city over more than a decade. A lot of writers who watched Rice play daily, at the time he was on the field -- rather than through the time-machine prism of Adjusted OPS+ -- thought he was pretty damn good. (Keep in mind, most writers will talk to players, managers and coaches throughout the season as they formulate their ballots.)</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">If you want to quibble with the fact that he won the award in 1978, or with his placement in some particular year, OK, I get that. But to ignore the MVP voting entirely, as if it isn't at least some kind of barometer of his play over the course of his career, is embarrassing. This is like saying, "Hey, forget the Oscar voting of the 1950s. Marlon Brando was clearly overrated."</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">Look, I've never met Jim Rice, didn't grow up a Red Sox fan, don't think he is one of the very elite players of all time. I understand why someone wouldn't vote for him (but don't agree). But to portray his career as entirely unworthy of Hall of Fame consideration is silly.</span></span>Darth Shanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13717263605889641353noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12125610.post-79038358569936345232008-01-11T15:52:00.000-05:002008-01-12T09:07:17.382-05:00More Fred<a style="left: 0px ! important; top: 0px ! important;" title="Click here to block this object with Adblock Plus" class="abp-objtab-015964713564424715 visible" href="http://www.youtube.com/v/lssb6gkjQa4&amp;rel=1"></a><object height="355" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/lssb6gkjQa4&amp;rel=1"><param name="wmode" value="transparent"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/lssb6gkjQa4&amp;rel=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" height="355" width="425"></embed></object>Darth Shanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13717263605889641353noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12125610.post-27926794755470091382008-01-11T15:48:00.000-05:002008-01-11T15:50:57.764-05:00Fred Thompson calls it rightFred Thompson calls it right. Period. <object height="355" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/4zHxBuJJmvs&amp;rel=1"><param name="wmode" value="transparent"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/4zHxBuJJmvs&amp;rel=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" height="355" width="425"></embed></object>Darth Shanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13717263605889641353noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12125610.post-43495031384473534572008-01-08T08:09:00.000-05:002008-01-08T08:15:20.618-05:00Hiatus OverOkay, so I 'm back from Christmas and New Year's. (Happy New Year btw) I survived and only got sick while on our New Year's trip (still recovering).<br /><br />I ran the blogging everyday experiment as I had time, but time is fleeting and I don't know with what I need to do and hope to accomplish in this New Year if I will be able to maintain the blog that way. So what this means is that the blog won't have regular daily features (Verbum Diurnum for example), but will be used hopefuly as an inspirational and aspirational and some comic relief for the readers out there, while Tidbit of me are intertwined (hey, it's my blog after all).<br /><br />Sit back and enjoy this New Year.Darth Shanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13717263605889641353noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12125610.post-68596968436911988642007-12-24T17:02:00.000-05:002007-12-24T17:09:09.825-05:00Merry Christmas<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/7a/Gerard_van_Honthorst_002.jpg/504px-Gerard_van_Honthorst_002.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px;" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/7a/Gerard_van_Honthorst_002.jpg/504px-Gerard_van_Honthorst_002.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:lucida grande;" >The Gospel according to St. Luke (2:1-14)<br />1 In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. 2(This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) 3And everyone went to his own town to register. 4So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. 5He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. 6While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, 7and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. 8And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. 12This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger." 13Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, 14"Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests."</span><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:lucida grande;" ><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0); font-weight: bold;font-family:georgia;" >Merry Christmas ! Enjoy the video below. </span><br /></span><br /><br /><br /><a style="left: 0px ! important; top: 0px ! important;" title="Click here to block this object with Adblock Plus" class="abp-objtab-07375795322148696 visible ontop" href="http://www.youtube.com/v/FvuoVkalYMY&amp;rel=1"></a><object height="355" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/FvuoVkalYMY&amp;rel=1"><param name="wmode" value="transparent"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/FvuoVkalYMY&amp;rel=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" height="355" width="425"></embed></object>Darth Shanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13717263605889641353noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12125610.post-1283304167320640092007-12-23T09:19:00.000-05:002007-12-23T09:20:53.202-05:00non sequitur<p><span class="infl-inline"><b><a href="http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/non" title="non">non</a> <a href="http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/sequitur" title="sequitur">sequitur</a></b> (<i>plural</i> <b><a href="http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/non_sequiturs" title="non sequiturs">non sequiturs</a></b>)</span></p> <ol><li><span class="ib-brac"><span class="qualifier-brac">(</span></span><span class="ib-content"><span class="qualifier-content">logic</span></span><span class="ib-brac"><span class="qualifier-brac">)</span></span> An invalid argument; one in which the <a href="http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/conclusion" title="conclusion">conclusion</a> cannot be logically <a href="http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/deduce" title="deduce">deduced</a> from the <a href="http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/premise" title="premise">premises</a>. <dl><dd><i>The argument "All ravens are black; this object is black; therefore, this object is a raven" is a <b>non sequitur</b>.</i></dd></dl> </li><li>Any <a href="http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/abrupt" title="abrupt">abrupt</a> and <a href="http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/inexplicable" title="inexplicable">inexplicable</a> <a href="http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/transition" title="transition">transition</a> or occurrence. <dl><dd><i>Having a costumed superhero abduct the vicar was an utter <b>non sequitur</b> in the novel.</i></dd></dl> </li><li><span class="ib-brac"><span class="qualifier-brac">(</span></span><span class="ib-content"><span class="qualifier-content">humor</span></span><span class="ib-brac"><span class="qualifier-brac">)</span></span> A kind of pun that uses a change of word, subject, or meaning to make a joke of the listener's expectation: <dl><dd><i>"Take my wife - please."</i> -- Henny Youngman</dd><dd><i>"If all the girls who attended the Yale prom were laid end to end, I wouldn't be a bit surprised."</i> -- Dorothy Parker</dd><dd><i>"A fool and his money are soon partying."</i> -- Steven Wright</dd></dl> </li></ol>Darth Shanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13717263605889641353noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12125610.post-73971205296635135662007-12-23T09:15:00.001-05:002007-12-23T09:15:57.073-05:00Marvelous Light<object width="425" height="355"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/QypBviqxtXc&amp;rel=1"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/QypBviqxtXc&amp;rel=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="355"></embed></object>Darth Shanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13717263605889641353noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12125610.post-26288038779036311932007-12-22T09:30:00.001-05:002007-12-22T09:34:40.375-05:00Reader ResponseOk. The one week milestone has been reached. So readers (if you exist.) please chime in with your thoughts. I have started with a a few regular bits (hopefully more to come), and added a bit of personal flare. Let me know your thoughts.<br /><br />Enjoy this piece of flare as well.<br /><br /><a style="left: 0px ! important; top: 15px ! important;" title="Click here to block this object with Adblock Plus" class="abp-objtab-08519957301997193 visible ontop" href="http://www.youtube.com/v/3ZpVPG8elv4&amp;rel=1"></a><object height="355" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/3ZpVPG8elv4&amp;rel=1"><param name="wmode" value="transparent"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/3ZpVPG8elv4&amp;rel=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" height="355" width="425"></embed></object>Darth Shanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13717263605889641353noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12125610.post-60204834457802280232007-12-22T09:29:00.001-05:002007-12-22T09:29:37.401-05:00Prerogative<span class="headword">prerogative</span> <span class="pronunc"> • \prih-RAH-guh-tiv </span> <span class="func">noun</span> <dl><dd><span class="sense_marker">1 a :</span> an exclusive or special right, power, or privilege: as</dd><dd><span class="sense_marker">b :</span> one belonging to an office or an official body</dd><dd><span class="sense_marker">*c :</span> one belonging to a person, group, or class of individuals</dd><dd><span class="sense_marker">d :</span> one possessed by a nation as an attribute of sovereignty</dd></dl> <dl><dd><span class="sense_marker">2 :</span> a distinctive excellence</dd></dl>Darth Shanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13717263605889641353noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12125610.post-27931952831281787382007-12-22T09:27:00.000-05:002007-12-22T09:28:33.195-05:00Coulter still doesn't like Huckabee<a style="left: 0px ! important; top: 0px ! important;" title="Click here to block this object with Adblock Plus" class="abp-objtab-08519957301997193 visible" href="http://www.youtube.com/v/G-tx9l23B6g&amp;rel=1"></a><object height="355" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/G-tx9l23B6g&amp;rel=1"><param name="wmode" value="transparent"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/G-tx9l23B6g&amp;rel=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" height="355" width="425"></embed></object>Darth Shanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13717263605889641353noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12125610.post-82993630578847570172007-12-21T14:26:00.001-05:002007-12-21T14:40:12.150-05:00Riverbank Cafe<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://riverbankcafe.com/RiverbankLogo.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px;" src="http://riverbankcafe.com/RiverbankLogo.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>So today I ate at the Riverbank Cafe just across the river from downtown Hamilton. It's just three blocks from my Grandmother's home growing up and not far from where I grew up in Hamilton. I had lunch with an old friend from Elementary School, Will McAdams ( goto to <a href="http://anactofwill.com/">An Act of Will </a> for more on Will). Good food (first time eating there) and good times catching up with a friend going back to first grade. The manager, whom I will refer to by "V" when to Elementary School with us as well. Hamilton is like that, you can't go far into town without running into someone you know.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://riverbankcafe.com/Riverbank%20Front%20small.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px;" src="http://riverbankcafe.com/Riverbank%20Front%20small.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a> Click the post title for more on the Riverbank Cafe and the history of the building (We bought our Wedding Invitations there when it was Pen and Ink). Try the Westside Burger, it's for the Hamilton Westside we all know and love, not the facsimile down south in Cincinnati.Darth Shanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13717263605889641353noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12125610.post-45048147183214176762007-12-21T14:24:00.000-05:002007-12-21T14:25:53.120-05:00Even More on FranklinRich Franklin had to pull out of a UFC 82 fight with Travis Lutter and will be sidelined until approximately June because of a torn meniscus he suffered in his right knee. <p>Franklin’s camp alerted <a href="http://mmajunkie.com/">MMAjunkie.com</a> (www.mmajunkie.com) of the injury earlier today.</p> <p>In the past 24 hours, Franklin’s fight manager, Monte Cox, alerted UFC officials of the injury, which was identified by a recent MRI exam.</p> <p>News of the injury came approximately one day after the Cincinnati-based Franklin had signed on to fight Lutter at UFC 82, which takes place March 1 at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio. The Franklin-Lutter fight was expected to earn co-main event status with an Anderson Silva vs. Dan Henderson title fight also scheduled for the event.</p> <p>According to J.T. Stewart, Franklin’s publicity manager, the 33-year-old fighter recently experienced swelling of his knee — the same knee in which he tore a meniscus “several years ago” in a UFC match. His doctor determined that floating particles from the first injury had caused swelling, and while examining the knee, he realized Franklin had again suffered a similar tear.</p> <p>The UFC’s former middleweight champ will fly to Las Vegas for corrective surgery, which will take place during the first week of January.</p> <p>Franklin expects to return to the octagon sometime in or around June, Stewart said.</p> <p>Franklin last competed at UFC 77, where he suffered a second-round TKO to Anderson Silva in a hometown event. Franklin initially lost his belt to Silva at UFC 64 in October 2006 but rebounded for victories over Jason MacDonald and Yushin Okami to earn the rematch.</p> <p>Prior to the UFC 77 fight, Franklin signed a new six-fight deal with the UFC that goes into effect for his next fight.</p> Franklin debuted with the UFC in 2003 and has fought exclusively for the organization since 2005. He owns a career 22-3 record, which includes a 9-2 mark in the UFC.Darth Shanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13717263605889641353noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12125610.post-62961666323464378252007-12-21T14:23:00.000-05:002007-12-21T14:24:38.534-05:00Halcyon<b><a href="http://www.blogger.com/wiki/halcyon" title="halcyon"><span id="WOTD-rss-title">halcyon</span></a></b> <i>adj</i><br /><span class="IPA unicode audiolink"> <a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/23/En-us-halcyon.ogg" class="internal" title="en-us-halcyon.ogg"> </a></span><br /><div id="WOTD-rss-description"><ol><li>Pertaining to, or resembling, the kingfisher, which was anciently said to lay her eggs in nests on or near the sea during the calm weather about the winter solstice.</li><br /><li>Calm; quiet; peaceful; undisturbed; happy</li></ol></div>Darth Shanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13717263605889641353noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12125610.post-92127645553333734152007-12-19T20:25:00.000-05:002007-12-19T20:27:49.289-05:00Update on Rich FranklinApparently the Travis Lutter fight is rumor... sorry folks...<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(51, 51, 153);"> Hi guys. First off, I would like to thank everyone for the support. Thank you for the support leading up to, and since the fight with Anderson. He is a great fighter and deserves everyone's respect as a fighter, person, and ambassador to our sport. Also thank you for supporting American Fighter.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(51, 51, 153);">Todd tries to maintain our Myspace account because of my hectic schedule. Hopefully he is doing a good job for you all. He spends a good amount of time on here and does it for free. Sometimes he gets a t-shirt.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(51, 51, 153);">I am told there are rumors of me fighting multiple people in March. I have not signed for a fight in March. I don't believe that I am allowed to fight more than once in a night. I hope this clears up any confusion. I have not signed to fight anyone in March, or any other month.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(51, 51, 153);">Happy Holidays</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(51, 51, 153);">RF</span>Darth Shanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13717263605889641353noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12125610.post-6753699546308068922007-12-19T20:22:00.001-05:002007-12-19T20:22:52.462-05:00Langeweile<h1 class="firstHeading"><span style="font-size:100%;">Langeweile</span></h1><!-- start content --><p><span style="font-size:100%;"><a name="Noun" id="Noun"></a></span></p> <h3><span style="font-size:100%;"><span class="editsection"></span><span class="mw-headline">Noun</span></span></h3> <p><span style="font-size:100%;"><b>Langeweile</b> <span title="feminine gender"><i>f<span class="gender-period">.</span></i></span></span></p> <ol><li><span style="font-size:100%;"><a href="http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/boredom" title="boredom">boredom</a></span></li></ol>Darth Shanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13717263605889641353noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12125610.post-5864143613843461292007-12-19T20:08:00.000-05:002007-12-19T20:23:55.160-05:00PF ChangsToday was nice as my commercial director and associate director for R&amp;D took out to lunch, double nice it was Changs. PF Changs simply rocks. I never ate Chinese food growing up, and really have only ate it for about 9 years (co-incides with meeting my wife). Needless to say, Chang's Spicy Chicken (add Cashews) is in my top echelon of foods to eat. More on Changs below from Wikipedia.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/5/55/PFChangsLogo.jpg/250px-PFChangsLogo.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px;" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/5/55/PFChangsLogo.jpg/250px-PFChangsLogo.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>P.F. Chang's China Bistro, Inc. is a restaurant chain founded in 1993 offering American Chinese cuisine in an upscale atmosphere. The elaborate décor is designed to give the impression of a Chinese village. The chain is based in Scottsdale, Arizona. The initials "P.F." stands for the founder of the chain, Paul Fleming, while the "Chang" is derived from Fleming's co-developer, Phillip Chiang. As of December 2005, P.F. Chang's maintained 133 restaurants in 34 states.Darth Shanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13717263605889641353noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12125610.post-52051147259025934222007-12-18T06:50:00.000-05:002007-12-18T06:55:31.170-05:00More on Rich Franklin<div class="itemhead"> <h3><a href="http://mmamania.com/2007/12/18/ufc-82-rich-franklin-vs-travis-lutter-fight-booked/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent Link to &quot;UFC 82: Rich Franklin vs. Travis Lutter fight booked&quot;">UFC 82: Rich Franklin vs. Travis Lutter fight booked</a></h3> <small class="metadata"> </small> </div> <div class="itemtext"> <p>Former middleweight champion Rich Franklin will look to get back on the winning track against 185-pound winner of The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 4, Travis Lutter, at UFC 82 on March 2 at the Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio.</p> <p>Dave Melter from WrestlingObserver.com confirmed the rumored bout in a recent print edition of his newsletter. In fact, it will serve as a co main event alongside the middleweight showdown between current division titleholder, Anderson Silva, and PRIDE FC Welterweight Champion, Dan Henderson.</p> <p>More on this match up coming soon. In the meantime check out the latest UFC 82 rumored fight card right <a target="_blank" href="http://mmamania.com/2007/10/19/ufc-82-fight-card-from-columbus-ohio/">here</a>. </p> </div><br /><br />See you at BW3's or Wings N Rings March 2nd.Darth Shanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13717263605889641353noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12125610.post-39078309874235941562007-12-18T06:46:00.000-05:002007-12-18T06:48:26.170-05:00Echelon<h3><span class="mw-headline">Etymology</span></h3> <p>French <a href="http://en.wiktionary.org/w/index.php?title=%C3%A9chelon&amp;action=edit" class="new" title="échelon">échelon</a>, from <a href="http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%C3%A9chelle" title="échelle">échelle</a> 'ladder'.</p> <p><a name="Pronunciation" id="Pronunciation"></a></p> <h3><span class="editsection"></span> <span class="mw-headline">Pronunciation</span></h3> <ul><li><span class="ib-brac">(</span><span class="ib-content"><a href="http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/RP" title="RP">RP</a></span><span class="ib-brac">)</span> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IPA_chart_for_English" class="extiw" title="w:IPA_chart_for_English">IPA</a>: <span class="IPA" style="font-family: Gentium,GentiumAlt,Arial Unicode MS,Code2000,DejaVu Sans,Segoe UI,Lucida Grande,Charis SIL,Doulos SIL,TITUS Cyberbit Basic,Lucida Sans Unicode; font-size: 110%;">/ˈɛʃəlɒn/</span></li><li><span class="ib-brac">(</span><span class="ib-content">US</span><span class="ib-brac">)</span> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IPA_chart_for_English" class="extiw" title="w:IPA_chart_for_English">IPA</a>: <span class="IPA" style="font-family: Gentium,GentiumAlt,Arial Unicode MS,Code2000,DejaVu Sans,Segoe UI,Lucida Grande,Charis SIL,Doulos SIL,TITUS Cyberbit Basic,Lucida Sans Unicode; font-size: 110%;">/ˈɛʃəlɑːn/</span></li></ul> <p><a name="Noun" id="Noun"></a></p> <h3><span class="editsection"></span><span class="mw-headline">Noun</span></h3> <div class="infl-table"> <table border="0" width="100%"> <tbody><tr> <td bgcolor="#f8f8ff" valign="top" width="49%"> <p>Singular<br /><b>echelon</b></p> </td> <td width="0%"><br /></td> <td bgcolor="#f8f8ff" valign="top" width="49%"> <p>Plural<br /><b><a href="http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/echelons" title="echelons">echelons</a></b></p> </td> </tr> </tbody></table> </div> <p><span class="infl-inline"><b>echelon</b> (<i>plural</i> <b><a href="http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/echelons" title="echelons">echelons</a></b>)</span></p> <ol><li>A <a href="http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/level" title="level">level</a> or <a href="http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/rank" title="rank">rank</a> in an organization, profession, or society.</li><li><span class="ib-brac"><span class="qualifier-brac">(</span></span><span class="ib-content"><span class="qualifier-content">military</span></span><span class="ib-brac"><span class="qualifier-brac">)</span></span> A <a href="http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/formation" title="formation">formation</a> of troops, ships, etc. in <a href="http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/parallel" title="parallel">parallel</a> <a href="http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/row" title="row">rows</a> with the end of each row projecting further than the one in front.</li></ol> <p><a name="Translations" id="Translations"></a></p> <h4><span class="editsection"></span> <span class="mw-headline">Translations</span></h4> <div id="NavFrame1" class="NavFrame" style="clear: both;"> <div class="NavHead" align="left"> A level or rank in an organization, profession, or society.<span style="text-decoration: underline;"></span></div> <div style="display: none;" class="NavContent"> <table class="translations" border="0" width="100%"> <tbody><tr> <td align="left" bgcolor="#ffffe0" valign="top" width="48%"> <ul><li>Finnish: <a href="http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/taso" title="taso">taso</a><br /></li></ul><br /></td> <td width="1%"><br /></td> <td align="left" bgcolor="#ffffe0" valign="top" width="48%"><br /></td> </tr> </tbody></table> </div> </div> <div id="NavFrame2" class="NavFrame" style="clear: both;"> <div class="NavHead" align="left"> A formation of troops</div></div>Darth Shanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13717263605889641353noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12125610.post-11872830275820670742007-12-17T09:47:00.000-05:002007-12-17T09:51:15.712-05:00valetudinarian<p><span class="infl-inline"><b>valetudinarian</b> (<i><a href="http://www.blogger.com/wiki/comparative" title="comparative">comparative</a></i> <b>more valetudinarian</b>, <i><a href="http://www.blogger.com/wiki/superlative" title="superlative">superlative</a></i> <b>most valetudinarian</b>)</span><br /></p><ol><li>Of <a href="http://www.blogger.com/wiki/infirm" title="infirm">infirm</a> health; seeking to <a href="http://www.blogger.com/wiki/recover" title="recover">recover</a> health; <a href="http://www.blogger.com/wiki/sickly" title="sickly">sickly</a>; weakly; infirm.</li></ol>Darth Shanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13717263605889641353noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12125610.post-60208214100844889602007-12-17T08:03:00.001-05:002007-12-21T14:36:43.280-05:00Richards<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_p9ZNNtHbkl8/R2Z0pQ5GsHI/AAAAAAAAAAU/o5mQNVCWRA4/s1600-h/RICHARDS.png"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_p9ZNNtHbkl8/R2Z0pQ5GsHI/AAAAAAAAAAU/o5mQNVCWRA4/s200/RICHARDS.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5144927876575309938" border="0" /></a>Let's say that I was fasting for some reason or another. This would be the place I break the fast at. Richard's is one of two hometown pizza places, and though I don't frequent their pizza these days (I had plenty of it as a kid though in the era before Pizza Hut, Papa John's and Domino's) the "famous" steak sandwich is in my opinion jsut that. It is simply phenomenal. It's in my top five of foods that I would eat if I were on my death bed. A little aside that Richard's served Mexican food when I was kid (pre-Taco Bell, 30 years ago) and I can remember eating a taco and burrito quite often. Those items vanished about 2- years ago but the memories still taste great. Richards has a holiday steak sandwich sendoff and has shipped them to steak sandwich lovers all over the United States. People send them to relatives and friends - and even place orders for themselves says owner Karen Underwood.<p>Here's how it works:<br /><br />Each order of six sandwiches - precooked, frozen, packaged in dry ice in<br />heavy-duty reusable coolers and complete with reheating instructions - can<br />be sent anywhere in the United States. (Prices higher to Alaska and Hawaii).<br />Unfortunately, customs regulations prohibit shipments to foreign countries.</p><p>All of the sandwich ingredients are packaged separately including six 88%<br />lean beef patties, sweet Spanish onions, crunchy pickles, tasty<br />secret-recipe sauce, and toasted Italian buns.</p>Orders can be placed in person, by phone, or on the website. People phoning<br />in orders or using the website may use Visa, MasterCard, American Express,<br />or Discover.<p>To avoid shipping problems with perishable products during the holiday<br />season, we take orders each year from November through December 31 and ship<br />the sandwiches on January 8 to arrive before January 11. We will send each<br />recipient an acknowledgment card and free gift from Richards. All orders<br />placed before the deadline of December 12 will have the card and gift<br />arrive before Christmas Day. The final order deadline is December 31.<br /></p><p>Prices vary each year depending on the shipping rates and fuel surcharges<br />charged by the shipping company. The prices for the 2007 Send Off (for all<br />states except Alaska and Hawaii), including shipping, are:<br /><br />$68 - 6 regular steak sandwiches (original sauce, pickle and onion)<br />$71 - 6 steak sandwiches with cheese added<br />$74 -6 steak sandwiches with cheese and mushrooms.<br /></p>If you have additional questions, you can send an email to <a com="">steaksendoff@richardspizza.com</a>, or you can click <a href="https://id281.securedata.net/richardspizza/steaksendofforder.shtml">here</a> to order.Darth Shanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13717263605889641353noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12125610.post-56302757599984710932007-12-16T18:08:00.000-05:002007-12-18T06:52:35.931-05:00Rich Franklin<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.richfranklin.com/photo/by_Cody_Brotherton.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 273px; height: 203px;" src="http://www.richfranklin.com/photo/by_Cody_Brotherton.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Some of you are well aware that I am huge Rich Franklin fan, and of course a main part of that is that he is a hometown guy who train minutes from my house and resides in the same neck of the 'Nati. I thoroughly enjoy the UFC and the Ultimate Fighter Reality Show (aka TUF). The UFC is not for everyone (my wife especially) but it has it place. I am of the firm opinion that the UFC is safer than boxing, which is well accepted. Fights are often stopped well before serious injury can occur. Of course if the fighter is "too macho" to refuse to tap (see Marlon Sims of TUF5) that is the fighter's own ignorance. More on Rich Franklin <a href="http://www.wikipedia.com/wiki/Rich_Franklin" title="Rich Franklin">here</a> and check his workout below.<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://www.blogger.com/wiki/Rich_Franklin" title="Rich Franklin"></a><a style="left: 0px ! important; top: 15px ! important;" title="Click here to block this object with Adblock Plus" class="abp-objtab-09114450308996046 visible ontop" href="http://www.youtube.com/v/cq7Kdv0RHmc&amp;rel=1"></a><a style="left: 0px ! important; top: 15px ! important;" title="Click here to block this object with Adblock Plus" class="abp-objtab-09114450308996046 visible ontop" href="http://www.youtube.com/v/cq7Kdv0RHmc&amp;rel=1"></a><a style="left: 0px ! important; top: 15px ! important;" title="Click here to block this object with Adblock Plus" class="abp-objtab-09114450308996046 visible ontop" href="http://www.youtube.com/v/cq7Kdv0RHmc&amp;rel=1"></a><a style="left: 0px ! important; top: 15px ! important;" title="Click here to block this object with Adblock Plus" class="abp-objtab-09114450308996046 visible ontop" href="http://www.youtube.com/v/cq7Kdv0RHmc&amp;rel=1"></a><a style="left: 0px ! important; top: 0px ! important;" title="Click here to block this object with Adblock Plus" class="abp-objtab-09114450308996046 visible ontop" href="http://www.youtube.com/v/cq7Kdv0RHmc&amp;rel=1"></a><a style="left: 0px ! important; top: 0px ! important;" title="Click here to block this object with Adblock Plus" class="abp-objtab-09114450308996046 visible ontop" href="http://www.youtube.com/v/cq7Kdv0RHmc&amp;rel=1"></a><a style="left: 0px ! important; top: 0px ! important;" title="Click here to block this object with Adblock Plus" class="abp-objtab-09114450308996046 visible ontop" href="http://www.youtube.com/v/cq7Kdv0RHmc&amp;rel=1"></a><a style="left: 0px ! important; top: 0px ! important;" title="Click here to block this object with Adblock Plus" class="abp-objtab-09114450308996046 visible ontop" href="http://www.youtube.com/v/cq7Kdv0RHmc&amp;rel=1"></a><a style="left: 0px ! important; top: 0px ! important;" title="Click here to block this object with Adblock Plus" class="abp-objtab-09114450308996046 visible ontop" href="http://www.youtube.com/v/cq7Kdv0RHmc&amp;rel=1"></a><a style="left: 0px ! important; top: 0px ! important;" title="Click here to block this object with Adblock Plus" class="abp-objtab-09114450308996046 visible ontop" href="http://www.youtube.com/v/cq7Kdv0RHmc&amp;rel=1"></a><a style="left: 0px ! important; top: 0px ! important;" title="Click here to block this object with Adblock Plus" class="abp-objtab-09114450308996046 visible ontop" href="http://www.youtube.com/v/cq7Kdv0RHmc&amp;rel=1"></a><a style="left: 0px ! important; top: 0px ! important;" title="Click here to block this object with Adblock Plus" class="abp-objtab-03784857532437349 visible ontop" href="http://www.youtube.com/v/cq7Kdv0RHmc&amp;rel=1"></a><object height="355" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/cq7Kdv0RHmc&amp;rel=1"><param name="wmode" value="transparent"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/cq7Kdv0RHmc&amp;rel=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" height="355" width="425"></embed></object>Darth Shanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13717263605889641353noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12125610.post-53367124599489969322007-12-16T10:03:00.000-05:002007-12-16T15:16:01.240-05:00More on North Point<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://sojax.org/uploaded_images/louder_than_creation-721295.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 138px; height: 138px;" src="http://sojax.org/uploaded_images/louder_than_creation-721295.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Reader Rich Barrett has chimed in with more North Point news ! </span><br /></span>this new worship CD from Access worship leaders Steve Fee, Todd Fields, Chrystina Fincher, and Eddie Kirkland and was recorded live this fall.Darth Shanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13717263605889641353noreply@blogger.com0